Machine for setting type



4 Sheets-Sheet ,1.

0w; FELT. TYPE BETTER.

' Pate nte d May 29,1860.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. FELT. TYPE SETTER.

No. 28,463. Patented May 29, 1860..

"ffaf AKZ wi m: mums PETERs 0:0v Puorouwo. WAsmMGTOm n. c,

1 4 She ets- Sheet '3.

.0. w. FELT.

v TYPE SBTTER. N- Patented May 29,1860.

7N5 NORlls PETER! DO. PHOYG-UYHO WASNINQTON D. F.

4 Sheets-Shget 4.

C. W. FELT TYPE SBTTER. N0'.28,463. PatentedMay 29, 1860.,

Noam PETERS 00., FHDTD-LITHD, v-Asmuswrw n c we I UNITED STATES "PA-TENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. FELT, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR SETTING TYPE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,463, dated May 29, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, CHARLES W. FELT, of Sa- 1em,inthe county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Type-Setting and Type- Distri uting Machinery and Registering Apparatus, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms'a full and exact specification of the same, wherein Ihave set forth the nature and principles. ofmy said improvements by which my invention may be distinguished from all others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plates of drawings represent my improvements.

Figure 1, Plate 1, is a plan or top view of my improved machine and apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane of the line A B, Fig. 1, Plate 2. Fig. 3 is a side view'or elevation. Figs. 4, 5,'and

' 6 are detail sections taken, respectively, in the planes of the lines A B, C D, and E F,

Fig. 1, Plate 1. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of a portion of the machine.

I am aware that several machines for distributing and setting types have previously been invented; but they are all limited in the number of types and have no provision made for spacing and other important attributes, and in general do not and cannot wholly take the place of hand labor.

The object aimed at and secured by my improvements is to accomplish all the work of composing, distributing, leading, and spacing types, so as to entirely dispense with hand 1abor, as usually practiced for these purposes, and to produce an apparatus which. can be so worked by one operator as to produce all the desired results automatically, and, moreover, at the same time to register the work done, so as to reproduce, it desirable, any number of copies, and thus take the place of the usual process of stereotyping, the importance of which will be manifest, or to distribute any matter just as it was set up. The dilferent portions of the apparatus for accomplishing all these dcsiderata will necessarily require several different applications for Letters Patcut, and the declaration and description of the present application will therefore be confined to the preliminary and fundamental steps of the invention that is, to the mode or modes by which various motions and combinations of motions are produced, whereby certain mechanical devices are so actuated and arranged as to effect the desired results accomplished-in another part of the apparatusviz., the carrying of' a stick to any portion of a case and take out therefrom or insert therein the various grades of type, and also to register the work so performed for redistribution and for stereotyping purposes, as hereinbefore stated.

A A A in the drawings represent the supporting frame-work of that portion of the apparatus which I am now about to describe.

B B is the main shaft, driven by any proper means and having attached to and revolving with it a. cam O. The cam C actuates the spring-arm D, made fast to a rockershaft E,

to which are also attached two vibrating bars 7 F F, the upper ends of which are connected to a sliding piece G, which will thus be moved back and forth in a horizontal line or plane.

H H H are a series of keys, of which there may be any desired number attached to vertical sliding pieces I I I and bearing upon spring-rods J J J.

K K are projections upon the vertical sliding pieces I I, which, when the keys are depressed, are abutted against by the horizontal vibrating bar G, and thus give a forward motion to the longitudinal sliding pieces-L L. The ends of the sliding pieces-L L the most remote from the keys H H severally abut against the various members of a series of T- shaped sliding bars M M, placed horizontally one above the other, which have bearings at N, N, and N'.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by depressing one or more of the series of keys H II, either separately or in combination with each other, one or more of the sliding T-pieces will be moved forward; and as these Ts are to actuate a peculiar combination of levers the arrangement, 850., of:

which are to form the subject of an application for separate Letters Patent, and which will so operate as to carry a stick to any column of a case for the insertion or removalof a type, it will be evident that the desired result of moving the Ts intelligently, as it were, so as to produce automatically the effects. of hand-labor, can be accomplished by one operator at the key-board. The Ts are :retracted, after having been moved forward, by means ofbent springs O O.

The key-board may consist of any number of keys; but it is desirable that there should be at least one key for each letter of the alphabet, with a few additional ones for the points commonly used in printing-say thir ty-two in all.

In order to take a different class, grade, or style of type, as a A a, it will be necessary to use a few other keys in combination with the thirty-two; but the key to be used for any one a is the key to be employed for all the difierent styles of as, the distinction being made by the use of other keys, in combination with the set of thirty-two. Consequently the use of two keys at the same timeone by each hand'will produce a different combination of motions and a different type will be taken In order to economize the motion of the Ts, so that in case a T is used more than once consecutively it shall not come back and then go forward again, but be held forward until its use is no longer required, and also in order to hold the Ts forward during so much of the revolution of the machine that the vibrating plate G can remain back or opened, so that the keys can be pushed down or operated for a comparatively long period of time, I. have adopted a peculiar arrangement of mechanical devices, the operation of which I will now proceed to describe.

To all of the Ts, or forming a part thereof, are, attached projections P P. A series of spring-hooks Q Qareso operated as to be either engaged with or disengaged from the projections P P, the said hooks Q Q turning upon pivots at R and being attached to a sliding frame S, having a reciprocating rectilinear motion imparted to it by means of a vibrating spring-bar T, actuated by the springlever U in conjunction with the cam V, fixed to the main shaft B B of the machine.

The operation of the hooks Q Q, whereby they are allowed to slip or pass freely by the projections PP of those Ts which have not been moved forward by the action of the vibrating bars F F and the keys, while they will interlock or engage with the projections of those Ts which have been pushed forward and hold them there during the remainder of the revolution of the machine, thereby allowing the keys that were depressed to be free to act again, if necessary, on the next revolution, is as follows: The frameS S, to which the series of hooks Q Q are attached, and which has a reciprocating rectilinear motion imparted to it, as above described, moves in grooved ways W W of the standard. X X, and also has abearing in a traveling bar Z Z. The bar Z Z, which travels with the sliding frame S S during the time the hooks Q Q are passing by the projections of those Ts which have not been moved forward,but when they have so passed is arrested in its rectilinear motion by the stops at a, while the sliding frame S S is allowed to continue in its forward motion independently of the traveling bar Z Z, sliding in the grooves Y Yof the bar Z and the grooves \V W of the standard X, as before stated.

Attached to the hooks Q Q or forming a part thereof are wedge-shaped projections Z) Z). The projections 19 b, when the traveling bar Z Z has been arrested in its forward motion by the stops at a, travel in suitable ways formed in the said bar Z Z, and the hooks are then allowed to have a lateral motion imparted to them by the action of the springs c c, which causes them to be hooked or interlocked with the projections of those Ts which have been moved forward as soon as all the said hooks have passed beyond the projections of those Ts thathave not been so actuated.

The hooks Q Q, which have been interlocked or engaged with the projections of those Ts which have been moved forward and also those which have passed freely over the projections of the remaining Ts, are moved in a lateral direction during their backward motion, so as to be kept entirely free from the said projections of the Ts, and thus be held by the action of the wedgeshaped projections b I), attached to the hooks Q Q, which enter suitable ways in the travel ing bar Z, the said bar being arrested in its backward movement by abutting against stops d d of the standard X.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that in order to produce the desired results of .holdin g the Ts forward by means of the spring-hooksQ Q and also to allow the sliding piece G G to quickly retake itsproper position, so as to be in readiness, upon the next revolution of the driving-shaft B B, to perform its duty of pushing the depressed 1 keys, it is necessary that the cams O and V,

which actuate, respectively, the sliding piece G and the sliding frame S S, should be so arranged with regard to each otherthat while the one will cause the Ts to be sent forward by means of the spring-leverD, the other will so actuate the sliding frame S 'S, to which the hooks are attached, as-to cause the hooks Q' Q immediately after the Ts have been so pushed forward to interlock with and hold the same during the remainder of a revolution.

I will next proceed to describe the manner in which the movement of the Ts as produced by the operator at the key-board are registered, so that one or any n umber of copies of the work performed can afterward be produced without the use of the keys, the object aimed at and secured being the production of an inexpensive substitute for the process of stereotyping by means of automatic machinery.

e e care a series of right-angular-shaped bars corresponding in number to the Ts and attached thereto in any proper manner. These bars cc eengage with the notches f f of a series of longitudinally-placed arms gy, sliding in suitable bearings, whereby when any one of the Ts is moved forward a corresponding one of the arms g 9 will receive a similar motion, and receive a backward or retractin g motion when the Ts retrograde by means of the bent spring h h. The arms 9 g are connected to the forked ends of a series of right-angular plates 'i '11 by means of studs jj, so that while the arms 9 9 will impart a rectilinear or forward-and-back motion to the rightangular plates 7; 2' they will also allow of a vertical movement being imparted to the said rightangular plates 11 -i. These plates 2'- i, inconsequence of such vertical and rectilinear movements,will cause such onesof a series of punches Z Zas correspond to the Ts which have been moved forward to punch'holes in a strip ofpaper or other suitable material fed between proper guiding and holding plates m and nat u (see Figs. 2 and 5) by alternately engaging and disengaging notch esp 19, formed in the said right-angular plates 2' 2', with and from the punches Z Z, according as the rightangular plates t 2' are moved forward or back, thereby making a complete registry of the movements of the Ts upon the strip of paper or other material employed. At the same time that the registry of the movements of the Tsis made by the series of punches ZZa continuous line of holes is being punchedin the center of the strip of paperfor the more proper guidance of the'same when it is to be fed through that portion of the machine, to be hereinafter described, either for theresettin'g or redistributing of the types-by means of a central punch Z, which receives continuously a vertical or up-and-down motion by the action of one of the right-angular plates M, which receives no rectilinear motion, because its arm 9 has no connection with any one of theTs. The vertical or up'and-down motion of the right-angular plates 1' 71, whereby the punches Z Z perform. their work, is produced by means of an eccentric q, fixed to the main shaft B Bot the machine, to the strap of which eccentric q q is attached a connecting-rod'rr, the other end of which is fastened to the bearings or casingssof the plates 2' 2'. (See Fig. 3.) The punches ZZ are relieved or uplifted at proper intervals of time from the strip of paper by the frame tt, connected with the rod '1" r, and actuated by the projection to. (See Figs. 2, 3,and 5.) The strip of paper, as fast as itis punched or the register formed in it, is fed along by and between suitable rollers 17L. To the lower one of the rollers r o is attached a ratchet-wheel w it, actuated by and receiving an intermittent rotary motion from a pawl :13, which pawl receives an up-and-down motion by being connected to the casing or bearing 8 of the plates 2' 2', a spring y serving to keep the pawl ac inits' proper position, or engaged with the ratchet-wheel w.

Having thus described the manner in which a complete registry of the movements of the Ts, or of the work as fast asperfprmed, is

made, I will next proceed to describe the mode in which the register so formed can be made available for making any number of duplicates thereof, so as to constitute an excedingly cheap and'efficacious substitute forthe expensive process of stereotyping, and so, also, that the types set up can be redistributed or replaced in their proper positions in the case in readiness for forming new matter."

. z z are a series of blunt needles or feelers attached to proper stocks a, a, &c.,' which move in bearings 19 b. The register or strip of paper or other material is fed through 'in an opposite direction from thatin which itpassed through the punchingappara'tus, and between suitable guiding and holding plates c'- and d, (see'Fig. 3,) the upper one (1' having holes for the necessary passage ofthe needles through it by means of the two rollers u c, which have an intermittent rotary motion imparted to them by the action of the pawl e upon the ratchebwheelf, which pawl,

being attached to the case or bearing 8, has a vertical motion imparted to it, a.spring g serving to keep the pawl in proper position to engage with the ratchet-wheel f.

It is necessary here to state that the pawl :20, which actuated the ratchet-wheel w for producing the proper feeding motion to the register or strip of paper when coming from the punches Z Z, should be thrown out of gear, or its connection with the ratchet-wheel to destroyed, which is eifected by the displacement of the spring yand the tension of the cord h, playing around a pulley 11 ,the ends of which cord are attached to each of the pawls x and e, the spring 9', (see Fig. 3,) which bears against the pawl e, serving also to keep the cord h drawn to its utmost tension, and thereby to keep the pawl m removed from the ratchet-wheel 'w, the pawl e swinging upon a pivot at j.

The needles or feelers z 2 have a vertical or up-and-down motion imparted to them by the action of the case or bearing s for the punches Z Z, the case or bearing 8 engaging witha geared sector of a bar It, swinging upon a pivot at Z of a standard m. To the end of the swinging bar'k' the most remote from the geared sector it? is fastened a pin 0, upon which swings aplate 11', the plate 19 having a suitable groove to allow of the movement of the, pin 0' when the bar is moved up and down by the action of the case or bearing .9.

It will be seen that the feelers z 2 being fastened to the stocks a a and having a vertical motion imparted to them, as described, will, when upon their downward course, penetrate the register when any of the holes of the same are in direct opposition to the ends of the needles, but if not they will yield, by means of the spiral springs q q, attached to the stocks a a, &c., in any proper manner. Those needles which are allowed to penetrate the register will, by means of pins 0" r, attached' to their upper ends,bear down springlevers s s, swinging upon fulcrums t :5, until the spring-levers s 8 come in the same straight lines with projections t" t", fastened at right angles to the Ts, which spring-levers ss, being attached to a sliding plate a, will receive a reciprocating rectilinear motion, be cause of the connection of the sliding plate 11/ u with the sliding piece G, which operated the keys H H, as hereinabove described. By the movement of the sliding plate it forward, the spring-levers s s of such needles 2 2 as penetrate the register, being in a direct line with the projections t. t of the Ts, will actuate such Ts in a forward direction in the same manner and for as long a period of time as the depression of the keys by the operator did, as hereinabove described.

When the punching operation, or that of registering the movements of the Ts, is produ'ced by the depression of the keys, it-will be evident that the movements of the needlestocks may be prevented from taking place,

as they are not then needed in the performance of the registering. I accomplish this result by raising the needle-stocks a a and sliding under the same a suitable plate 1), with a slot w and stud as, which plate 1) serves to keep the stocks a at elevated, and also to remove them as far above the action of the plate 19', actuated by the swinging bar is, as not to be affected in any manner by the vertical or up-and-down motion of the said plate 19.

For the purpose of throwing out of gear or of destroying the connection of the Ts with the sliding plates 9 9 when the register is being passed through the apparatus, so that the punching operation will not take place, it will be only necessary tor the bearings of the sliding plates to be so lifted that the projections ,c e of the Ts will not interlock with the slots f formed in the sliding plates 9 g. This I effect by means of a rod or bar y, which slides in the direction of its length, having attach ed to it a Wedge-shaped piece z, moving under the bearing a" of the sliding plates g g, and

thereby lifts the same from their connections with the projections of the Ts. The central punch l is thrown out of gear or operation at the same time with the other punches by means of a stud I), attached to the bar y,

and actuated by the longitudinal movement of the bar so as to bring the notch 19 of the central punch Z inv opposition with the head of the punch. j

The arrangement and operation of the keys, it will be seen, are peculiar, as they do not, by the direct force applied to them by the operator, actuate the Ts, but, on the contrary, are only bytheir depression put'into such a position that the forward movement of the vibrating bars -F F will communicate the necessary motion to the longitudinal sliding pieces L L, the only expenditure of force or power applied to the keys being'simply that to overcomethe resistance of the spring-rods J .T. If this were not the case and the movements of the keys themselves applied the power directly to the Ts or other devices employed, it will be obvious that too much force would be required to actuate the keys to enable them to be operated successfully and with sufficient quickness.

Having thus described my improvements, I shall state my claims as follows:

What I'claim as my invent-ion,'and desire to have secured to me by LettersPatent, is-

1. The general arrangement and organization of the apparatus herein described, and

for the purposes specified.

2. Imparting the automatic motions herein described to the Ts or their mechanical equivalents by means of keys or indicators so arranged-and operated that these automatic motions can be given at pleasure to one or more of the said Ts or their mechanical equivalents, as set forth.

3. The combination of the sliding-pieces L L, keys H H, and vibrating bar F, so operating together that the depression of the keys will actuate the Ts, as set forth.

4. Holding the Ts or their mechanical equivalents in the same position in. which they were sent by the action of the keys, so as to economize their motion, and whereby the'keys can be operated quickly several times in succession without delay by the arrangement of devices herein described, or any other arrangement of devices that will successfully accomplish the desired result.

5. The arrangement of the series of holding-hooks q q, so operating as to'engage with or be disengaged from the Ts, and actuated for those purposes, substantially as described.

6. The mode herein described of producing a registry or record of the movements of the Ts or of the work performed, the same consisting in forming automatically, by the action of the machine itself, holes, perforations, or indentations in a strip of paper or other proper material corresponding tothe movements of the keys by the operator.

7. The combination of the Ts and the series of punches operating in conjunction with each other, substantially as described, whereby the forward movements of the T s will so actuate the punches as to produce holes, perforations, or indentations in a strip of paper or other proper material.

8. The arrangement of a series of needles the Ts or their equivalents as those preor feelers so operated by and in conjunction, viously imparted by the operator on the keys,

with a register consisting of a strip of paper for the purpose specified.

or other material having holes, perforations, CHAS. W. FELT. or indentations formed therein, 'and so oper- Witnesses:

w ating upon the Ts or their equivalents that JOSEPH GAVETT,

the same movements can be given thereby to A. W. BROWN. 

